IG hits State Fair procurement, security lapses

Acting Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott just released the results of an investigation into non-midway funny business at the New York State Fair.

From the release:

The Inspector General found that Department officials, including former First Deputy Commissioner Robert Haggerty and former Fair Director Daniel O’Hara, conducted an improper Request for Proposal (RFP) process and ultimately gave the sole bidder more favorable terms than offered during the RFP. In a separate procurement process, Department officials allowed an electronic ticketing vendor to bid on an RFP when that vendor had assisted First Deputy Commissioner Haggerty in preparing the RFP, in likely violation of New York State Finance Law.

The Inspector General also conducted an assessment of the State Fair campus and identified areas of significant security lapses. In addition, the Inspector General discovered that two Fair employees were maintaining living and storage spaces on Fair grounds. In one case, an employee was found to reside in the racing stable office, keeping exotic pet birds on-site and storing enough belongings to fill six horse stalls and a pickup truck. In another case, an employee established quarters which featured a kitchenette that had a refrigerator containing alcoholic beverages, a couch, an inflatable bed, and a television. This conduct had been occurring for several years, with at least one supervisor aware since 2010. The Inspector General’s investigation uncovered significant management failures that enabled these security lapses to exist and persist.

The Department of Agriculture and Markets has agreed to the Inspector General’s recommendations and has taken and will continue to take comprehensive steps to implement the changes needed to address the concerns identified in the report. In addition, the Department terminated First Deputy Commissioner Haggerty and has replaced Fair Director O’Hara. Other implicated employees have been disciplined or are no longer employed by the Department.

The Acting Inspector General has referred her findings to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and the State Fair Advisory Board.